Just don't answer. The question is neither relevant, nor is it even the crux of the column. Get past the clicky smelling headline, and what you have here is a combination of two news stories, one new and one old, both of which you've likely already come across.

Just don't answer. The question is neither relevant, nor is it even the crux of the column. Get past the clicky smelling headline, and what you have here is a combination of two news stories, one new and one old, both of which you've likely already come across.

Here's a bit of curiosity. GT Spirit is reporting that Audi has pulled the manual gearbox option for both the S4 and the S5 in Europe. The news comes courtesy of Fourtitude, who spoke with Barry Hoch, the product planning manager for Audi of America. Hoch said that while the sportier Audi models will lose their third pedal in the EU, American buyers will still be able to row their own gears.

Lamborghini is apparently chomping at the bit to say arrivederci to the manual transmission. Motor Trend had a chance to speak with Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini's R&D director, and it appears that a manual gearbox doesn't fit into the automaker's plans for the future. The immediate future.

Last week, we linked to a CarDomain piece about a lunch that gang had with GM's Bob Lutz. One of their topics of conversation with the product czar was manual transmissions, and it was reported that the '09 Pontiac G8 GT would be offered with an optional Tremec 6-speed manual transmission. This was certainly welcome news, both to us and readers. Unfortunately, it turns out that this information was, in fact, too good to be true. Pontiac's Jim Hopson dropped us a note this morning to clarify. In

It's not for us, but Volkswagen's moving ahead steadily with readying their new coupe. Heading a car for the showroom means that all the ancillary materials need to be created, too. They're likely shooting pictures of some preproduction model in an exotic locale as we write this, and the mundane things like owner's manuals need to get done so they can be lovingly tucked into gloveboxes. Some quick thinking with a digital camera has netted the interweb some closeups of a Scirocco's instruction bo

On the eve of what could be the revival of GM's "Excitement" division, it comes to light that the new Pontiac G8 will make the trek from Down Under sans stick. For whatever reason, General Motors has decided to offer the G8 – one of its sportiest and most potentially enthusiast-pleasing models – with only an automatic at launch. Granted, it's the General's six-speed slushbox with paddle shifters, but for those of you who prefer to row your own and have a down payment in hand, you'll

It looks like the dual-clutch preselector transmission is emerging as the leader in automated manuals. Volkswagen's DSG has been around a while and offers fewer compromises than less purpose-built manuals. Ford's champing at the bit to get their own trick DSG-like transmission into production, and it looks like we'll see such a unit drop soon with the PowerShift moniker. Gearbox maker Getrag has several different variations on the theme, and word is they'll start off in PAG brand like Volvo firs

When Automobile got their paws on a six-speed manual version of the M5, they were none too pleased that BMW's engineers wouldn't allow drivers to fully disable the traction control. At the time, we assumed that BMW's legal boffins pictured overly enthusiastic Americans, stomping the go pedal and promptly winding up in a ditch.

When BMW opted to only make the M5 available with a seven-speed SMG gearbox, the hue and cry from U.S. purists was heard across the ocean. For 2007, BMW has finally decided to appease American customers by equipping the 500 HP uber-saloon with a six-speed manual, much to the apparent disgust of Gerhard Richter, the development chief of the M division.